From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Canning Chicken and Turkey

22 March 2006

Backpacker – at 08:41

Since bird flu is supposed to reach North America by this fall (or earlier), I figure that even if it doesn’t jump to humans, eating chicken or turkey is out once that happens. And I love chicken and turkey.

I have a pressure canner and am going to can organic chicken and turkey meat, plus variations on homemade chicken or turkey soup, so we can still eat it even after the virus hits poultry farms here.

Anyone have any good canning recipes for poultry? Thanks!

Dar – at 08:54

Backpacker, good idea!..I noticed the other day when I was at grocery-store…Progresso ( which usually go for $2.50 or more), was on sale for a mere $.99…unfortunatly, all the soups they offred had chicken in them. I am seeing more signs around here that stores are preparing by selling chicken products very cheaply.

Backpacker – at 09:23

I noticed that too—lots of sales on poultry products. If they all go on super-sale, watch out, I bet the next week we’ll hear that it’s hit the big farms.

Kim – at 09:28

Yes, if things pan out in the US as they have in other countries where bird flu has been found, the prices of poultry will drop dramatically. I have been canning lots of chicken myself, and may also can some turkey. I also have two large turkeys and lots of chicken breasts in the freezer. BTW, the poultry producers already have TV commercials filmed and waiting for the day that BF is announced in the US, meant to quell consumers fears. KFC projects a 20% drop in poultry consumption when BF is found in the US. I’ve seen the poultry prices dropping recently too.

HerdChemistat 09:29

Skinless boneless chicken breast is on sale here in Central Florida at Albertsons for $ 1.59 lb this weekend. I am stocking my chest freezer.

flourbug – at 09:33

I used a simple recipe where you cube skinless lean chicken breast, pack in a jar, cover with water (no spices or salt) and then pressure cook. I served a 3 month old jar to my family last night. My father said, “is this tuna?”. I bought cans of chicken from the supermarket, and that crumbled and flaked and had a taste of tuna. The home canned chicken is very similar. I guess its better than tuna because it doesn’t have mercury, but it would be nice if it tasted more like chicken. I have a few jars of chicken pieces (cut up whole chicken, good prices around here too) that I sauteed first, so I’ll give that a try today and see how it came out.

I use ground turkey in chili and spaghetti sauce that I can myself. It takes on the flavor of the spices and adds a nice amount of body, plus you get the nutrition of the meat.

Dar – at 09:40

In Massachusetts recently KFC has been bombarding the TV screens with more and more ads for people to buy their chicken dinners. They are on so much that it is very annoying..I see changes rapidly happening in this state, and most people don’t even realise these signs. I don’t know anyone who has seen the ads on local TV stations that local communities are in desperate search for people to be volunteers at the many emergency clinics. Plymouth Mass..for example is setting up 10 clinics for BF. I have volunteered for my own community. The government knows alot more than they are telling anyone, as I have never in my life seen the mustering they are trying to do ( volunteers)..Communities need to be more open about recruting people. No-one even realises that this is now happening all over Massachusetts, they look at it like it is an “ Asian problem “

Carrey – at 09:58

If you eat ground chicken and turkey here’s a suggestion for you, I did it with hamburger but I don’t see why you couldn’t do it with poultry.

First I browned it as I would for taco meat or chili. I did make sure not to fry it too hard, just enough to cook it through. Then I drained as much fat as possible. After it stopped dripping, I poured boiling water over it to get off even more fat. Fat will go rancid pretty quickly. After the boiling water I lined the bottom rack of my dehydrater with the fruit roll up tray to catch all the little peices. Then I loaded the other racks with the rinsed meat. 3–4 hours later I had hard burger. I let it cool then vacuum packed it in a canning jar. The next night I made chili with it and I swear to you, there was NO difference in texture or taste. My picky hubby liked it so much he said we should just keep enough burger in the freezer to make accual burgers with and dry the rest of it. After I get all the burger done I’m gonna try ground sausage.

Cinda – at 12:45

Dar @0940

Daughter of the American Republic? If so- me too! and the Mayflower and all that.

We’re in Sagamore. I have not seen those commercials. Is it for Jordan Hospital? My husband’s cousin is a lab tech there- he hasn’t said a thing to us about it. I’m pretty sure he knows we are concerned about AI- so Id have thought he would mention it.

shadddup – at 19:42

Backpacker…

I am an outta control canner and can many things using chicken. I make chicken soup, chicken cacciatore, plain chicken (to be used later in a variety of chicken dishes like chicken paprikash, chicken/broccoli with noodles and cheese sauce, etc.)…I also can chicken cacciatore in a marinara sauce and have been thinking about trying to can some chicken in mojo sauce (for those of the latin persuasion)…

You may can chicken bone-in or deboned…I do the deboned type. I take the bones and skin and fat from the chicken and simmer that with veggies to make a chicken stock that I can, so I get 2x for the same bird. For me, living in south Florida with our low elevation, I can at 10lbs pressure for 90 minutes.

I would assume that many chicken dishes are interchangeable with turkey dishes, depending on ones tastes. Carrie made a good suggestion about dehydrating ground chicken or turkey. From what I hear, it reconstitutes admirably so that might be a viable option for you also.

If you’re interested in specific recipes, I’ll be happy to post in detail.

Shad.

flourbug – at 21:38

Daughters of the American Revolution. In order to be a member you have to prove you are a line descendant of someone who was a patriot (military service or some other real contribution) in the American Revolution.

flourbug – at 21:40

Shad, please do. I got a thumbs down on the plain canned chicken (fortunately only have 24 quarts, haha). I’ll give your recipes a try.

sacoast – at 21:44

I make jelly and jam. I have never canned anything else, so this is all new to me. I would like to try the butter, but now I’m thinking I would like to try chicken and meat also. What kind of shelf life does canned meat have and also cheese sauce? thanks for any ifno.

seacoast – at 21:46

Sorry! “seacoast”

flourbug – at 22:27

seacoast, chicken and other meat should be stable for 2 - 5 years, depending on storage conditions (cool, dry, and dark are the best). I’ve canned butter, mostly as an experiment, and it came out fine. Food safety experts however, warn against canning butter at home because of the potential for botulism. I am using my canned butter in dishes where it will boil for at least 15 minutes, and I ordered powdered margarine for long term storage. I don’t think canning cheese sauce is possible. I’ve never seen a recipe for it, and imagine the high temps and long boiling time would ruin the texture.

23 March 2006

Hillbilly Bill – at 11:04

This is just my opinion, but I think there is a limit to what can be safely canned at home. Just because you can buy a jar of cheese sauce in the store does not mean it can be safely canned at home. IMHO it is best to stick with what you can do and find alternatives for the rest as flourbug has done. It is just not worth the risk.

Oremus – at 11:43

Bought a big can of nacho cheese sauce at Wallyworld. It’s at my retreat so I can’t check the exp. date.

flourbug – at 12:03

Ingredients and processes not available to the home canner allow commercial producers to do more than we can at home. Read the labels, watch expiration dates, check the price, and then decide whether its better to home can or purchase at the supermarket.

I’m not buying big cans of anything that needs to be refrigerated or has a short shelf life after opening. In this situation it is much better to have many small cans that will serve just enough for one meal. Check your local big box and restaurant supply store for single serving sizes of condiments and jellies, too. Can you imagine having to open one of those HUGE jars of mayo in August, when the power goes out? I hope you really like macaroni salad. ;)

Hillbilly Bill – at 12:08

flourbug and others:

http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Forum.Refrigeration

contains a few solutions for keeping food cold with the grid down.

24 March 2006

Backpacker – at 07:50

Thanks Shaddup, if you want to post recipes, that would be great!

I made a big vat of chunky turkey soup with onions, carrots, and celery yesterday, canned 3 quarts, and ate the rest. It was phenomenal—I think canning in homemade broth is the way to go for poultry, it seems like it would beat that dry “tastes like tuna” effect of just canning the meat and hoping it makes its own juice. We’ll see.

Now I’m off to can more things—what a fun and useful hobby.

shadddup – at 07:54

Ok, I’ll post a couple of my recipes for y’all…I cook for a living so these are tried and true recipes…

I hafta go up to West Palm Beach this morning so I’ll try to post some stuff either this evening or tomorrow.

Shad.

flourbug – at 10:03

Hillbilly Bill, I’ve been watching that thread. Many excellent suggestions for people who live up north, but unfortunately I don’t see any solutions that would work to in my current location.

Hillbilly Bill – at 10:20

flourbug - understood. Let’s just hope it doesn’t become anything more than a mental exercise.

flourbug – at 11:07

Hillbilly Bill, more and more I’m hoping I really AM paranoid and delusional. ;)

Hillbilly Bill – at 11:17

That’s for sure. One statement from that Charlie Rose show stuck with me. It was that the H2H mutation of H5N1 was possibly already in existence and it just had not gotten the opportunity to break loose. I thought about that, the virus stuck somewhere, not able to spread yet. Gave me the willies.

25 March 2006

shadddup – at 18:02

Ok here goes…

First of all, I cook in large volumes (16 and 20 quart stock pots), so you’ll probably hafta cut down my measurements to suit the sizes that y’all may have…

Chicken Soup

2 whole chickens (approx. 9lbs total) 4T kosher salt 1T peppercorns 1 large onion 3 large carrots 3 stalks celery

I put chickens in 20 quart stock pot, fill with water, add the salt and let simmer, skimming off the scum that rises to the top. Once the scum stops (this is cracking me up, trying to write out directions for something that I do by sight lol), I add the salt, peppercorns, onion, carrots and celery and simmer for a few hours (somewhere around 3–4). I also taste test the broth to make sure that the salt content is enough and sometimes end up adding a little more. I then strain the broth through a wire strainer placed over another pot, capturing the chickens and veggies in strainer. I then strain broth a 2nd time through cheese cloth (this is because I like a very clear and clean broth), with large spoon, skim off as much of the grease as you can or let sit overnight in the refrigerator and let it harden, peeling grease off top. I then debone and deskin all the chick and shred it into appropriate size pieces and set aside. I throw away the bones, fat, skin, veggies and peppercorns.

I then take fresh carrots, peel them and cut into about 1/4″ slices and place in a bowl…when I made this on Friday I think I probably used about 8–10 carrots, but the amount needed depends on the size of the carrots. Take fresh celery, and chop into small pieces (I do mine about 1/4″ square) and place into a seperate bowl. I also chop up fresh onion, placing in a third bowl.

I take my quart canning jars, wash and steralize them, and into each jar I place: 1/4c chopped onion, 1/3c chopped celery, 3/4c sliced carrots, and 3/4c shredded chicken. I heat the broth up in the pot, and then pour the broth over the raw veggies, put on seals and rings, and put into my pressure canner, and process 90 minutes at 10lbs pressure. I am only at 11′ above sea level so it is advisable to find out the amount of pressure needed at different altitudes. When they’re finished being processed, I take them out, place them on a kitchen towel on the counter and let cool over night. I then wash the jars, label and they’re ready to go. Last Friday, for some reason, I ended up having extra broth, so I processed the broth in pint jars for 90 minutes at 10lbs pressure. I figure if anyone gets really sick, they’re not going to necessarily want to eat chicken and carrots and such, but the nutritional value in the broth alone is priceless. When I go to serve the soup, I take some dried noodles, put them in a little pot, pour the quart over the noodles and simmer them according to the pasta directions (mine take about 5 minutes)…this cooks the noodles, absorbing a little of the soup into them and we have chicken noodle soup. I have found that the longer my chicken soup stays in the jar, the better it tastes for some reason. This recipe that I make myself gives me about 12 quart jars of chicken soup.

As far as canning regular chicken, I only can cubed chicken breast. I use that in things like shredded chicken tacos, burritos, pot pies, chicken divan, etc. I buy only bone-in with skin chicken breasts. I debone the chicken, remove the skin, and throw the bones and skin into a stock pot with some veggies, bay leaves and fresh garlic cloves and make a chicken broth for use in other meals. It really is much cheaper to buy bone-in with skin chicken breasts and debone them yourself. You will still come out paying less for the boneless chicken breasts, than if you had bought them already deboned…plus you get 2 for 1…canned chicken plus canned chicken broth.

Once I’ve deboned the chicken breasts and cubed them into about 1″ cubes, I place raw into hot steralized quart jars, leaving a 1″ headspace. I ladle hot water over the chicken, put in about 3/4t of salt, remove air bubbles and place seal and ring on jars and process at 10lbs pressure for 90 minutes.

As far as my chicken cacciatore, I make a homemade marinara from the tomatoes I also can…I’ll share that recipe with you if you’d like too…

Marinara

3T extra virgin olive oil 6oz chopped onion 2oz fresh garlic cloves, sliced in half 2 quarts home canned tomatoes 105oz (huge can) Hunts crushed tomatoes 1/4oz fresh parsley - chopped 1/4oz fresh basil - chopped 1t pepper 3T kosher salt 1t garlic powder 3lbs of fresh deboned chicken 5oz green pepper sliced into 1/2–3/4″ pieces 5oz yellow peper sliced into 1/2–3/4″ pieces 1 whole carrot

To make marinara: Place olive oil in bottom of pan and turn heat on low. Add chopped onion and sliced garlic and simmer slowly until onion is translucent (without browning garlic). Add home canned tomatoes, and large can of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and basil and stir well. Add peeled whole carrot and just place in marinara (the carrot helps to neutralize the acidic levels of tomatoes and adds a natural sweetness without the overpowering taste of regular sugar). Simmer on low for a few hours, stirring frequently so that bottom of pot doesn’t scorch tomatoes.

After marinara is done, I cube the chicken, dust with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder and sautee (slightly browning) in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. Prepare 10 pint jars, steralizing them. Divide up equally in jars the sauteed chicken, green and yellow peppers and pour marinara over and into the pint jars, leaving 1″ headspace. Remove air bubbles, place seal and ring on jar and process at 10lbs pressure for 90 minutes (keeping in mind to adjust the pressure according to your altitude requirements).

This can be served over cooked spaghetti or linguine…

I also make a homemade italian chicken sausage, both mild and hot, that doesn’t taste like chicken at all. I can that also, but that’s a whole ‘nother book.

Please forgive any confusion that may be imparted trying to put into type, recipes that I do by heart. If you have any questions or if I can clarify anything, please feel free to ask.

But, there ya go, there’s a few ways that I can my chicken. I’m very passionate about the fact that it’s homemade, has no preservatives and lasts a long, long time. The other day I looked at the ingredients on a store bought can of chicken broth that contained, in part, some of the following ingredients: chicken stock, salt, yeast extract (what’s the yeast for?), natural chicken flavor (which supposedly consists of water, autolyzed yeast extract (there’s that yeast again), maltodextrin glutamate, caramel color (what happened to the real thing?), onion juice concentrate, chicken extract, salt, soy lecithin), monosodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, etc etc etc.

I’d rather just have chicken, veggies, salt and pepper in my broth, thank you very much.

/end soapbox.

0:)

Good luck.

Shad.

26 March 2006

mom11 – at 00:16

Hi Shad!

Thanks for the recipes. If one doesn’t have any home canned tomatoes and needed to use canned whole tomatoes, would anything else need to be added? I would probably need to use quart jars, since my family is so large. Would the processing time need to be the same?

shadddup – at 09:42

mom11 - home canned is interchangeable with commercially canned with no other additions or changes needed.

I just use the home canned cause I like the fresh taste, etc.

When I can the marinara alone, I can in both quart and pint jars…I process pints for 30 minutes and quarts for 35 minutes.

As far as the marinara with the chicken in it, I process quarts 90 minutes, and pints 75 minutes.

Shad.

MileHighRNat 11:17

I’m so anxious to can but everything I’m reading about several canners I want to purchase (water bath and pressure) say the units shouldn’t be used on ceramic/glass topped stoves which is all we have. BUT we do have a wood burning stove. Does anyone have experience canning atop a WB Stove? I would assume that would work just fine although I would be challenged with temp control.

Top Cat – at 11:55

Two questions

Carrey: How do you vaccum pack the dried meat in jars?

flourbug: Where did you find powdered margarine?

RI Mom of 2 – at 15:40

MileHighRN: I have a Presto 23 quart canner that is ok for smoothtop stoves—see www.gopresto.com for details.

NEMO – at 17:00

yeast extract is a type/form of MSG (monosodium glutamate)

shadddup – at 17:57

MileHighRN -

Like RI Mom of 2 said, I usta use my glasstop stove (before my house fire) to can also and didn’t have any problems…it was a much smaller canner than I have today (7 quart jar capacity vs 19 quart jar capacity today) but it did the job great! I would be hesitant trying to can on a woodburning stove cause the consistancy in heat is vital…it takes me a while still, every time I go to do a batch, to regulate my gas stove to the right flame height.

As far as canning pressure cookers go, I believe without a doubt that the All American line is by far the best value for the money. It is metal to metal, there is no rubber seal to contend with over the years and as far as I’m concerned, they’ll last almost forever. They have 6 different sizes that I’m aware of (from 10 quart to 41.5 quart, both of which I have) and are a weighted gauge canner. Ask around, do some research and decide for yourself, but all my friends who can either have the All American or wish they did.

Here’s a url for you just to glimpse at what they’re about…you can shop prices (goodman’s seems to be pretty competitive) and decide for yourself:

http://www.goodmans.net/get_list_117.htm

Nemo -

Yeah I know what it is, but sometimes things like that just annoy me lol…thanks for the clarification.

Shad.

MileHighRNat 20:12

Thanks for the info, everyone. I feel much better going ahead and making the investment in what I want regardless of all the caution re: our type of stovetop.

flourbug – at 20:24

Top Cat, Survival Acres Just click on the link then search for margarine, and you’ll see they carry a variety of sizes.

flourbug – at 20:28

I have a 7 qt All American and a glass top stove. The instructions said not to use it on glass or ceramic because the pot was “too big”. In fact, if I center the pot on the heating element, it does sit slightly on top of the edge of the stove, which raises it above the surface so it doesn’t heat properly. If I move the pot over an inch or so, then it sits flat on the glass top and works like a dream. I think that disclaimer is in there for the dodo’s who would perch the pot on the lip and then whine about it not working.

Carrey – at 21:19

Top Cat – at 11:55

Hubby bought me the canning jar sealer for my FOODSAVER a few weeks ago. Thats what I use to seal the dried burger in the jars. However you could also pop the filled jars in a low heat oven for a few minutes, letting it get good and warm, then putting a lid and ring on till it >pings< then remove the ring.

One totally wierd thing I found out today. The jar sealer won’t seal BALL canning jars. Every BALL jar I try to vacuum pack refuses to seal. I can seal any other brand (mason, atlas, golden harvestand presto) but not the BALL. How weird is that? LOL

kmc RN – at 22:57

We went a little crazy and canned 80 lbs of hamburger this week - got a great deal on 93% lean so went to work. Cooked and then pressure-canned plain hamburger, hamburger with onion and garlic, taco-seasoned meat, and meatballs in a soup-based sauce. 10 lbs of meat made approx. 7 quarts canned which fit perfectly in our new 18-qt pressure canner. We also canned 10 lbs of sausage (both mild and Italian). We’ll open up a few jars this weekend to see how it all tastes once we can stand the sight of hamburger again…

shadddup – at 23:51

kmc RC -

ROFL @ “We’ll open up a few jars this weekend to see how it all tastes once we can stand the sight of hamburger again…”

Been there, done that…I’m still not over the trauma of 450lbs of peaches last August that I canned in various ways…

rofl

Shad.

27 March 2006

mom11 – at 01:02

Hi Shad!

Thanks for all your tips and recipes. I have a few questions.. (Nemo, your too!)

I just ordered the American 30 quart pressure cooker/canner. Is this ok for jellies, jams, applesauce as well. I used to use a water bath canner for those foods. (Sure hope I don’t crack my glass cooktop!) I previously called Jennaire and they said I could use pressure cookers, not to go larger than the burner and to make sure the bottom is flat, but guess I won’t know until the cooker comes.)

Is it ok to can meat, that was frozen? Do I always have to start with fresh meat?

Thanks for all your help!

Can you recommend a good cookbook for pressure canning?

I’m having a 1/4 acre garden plowed Wed., hopefully if it doesn’t rain and I can’t wait to get all the fresh goodies to can.

shadddup – at 08:15

mom11 -

Congrats on your new canner! The All American 930 is a big canner…it’s one size down from the monster I use, but at 14 quarts/processing, you’ll be able to whip those babies out! Just remember, with larger canners like that, it takes a little longer for them to heat up and cool down, only because of the larger volume space inside.

Sure, it’s fine to do water bath canning in regular canners. With the one you’re getting, it’s going to be very tall (19″ high). I’m tall so I can handle having to load deep into a canner, but it’s just something for you to think about because before you load your water bath products, you’ll have the water boiling in it so it could prove tricky trying to navigate a deep pot like that. I’ll be interested to hear how the 930 that you bought does on a glasstop stove as yours is a pretty big canner. For water bath canning you can use many cooking vessels you may already have, like stock pots, etc. I just use my huge turkey roaster, and put it over 2 burners (I have a commercial gas stove so the flames and burners are large and heat intensive). Just remember that whatever vessel you use must be deep enough to submerge your jams/jellies under water during the processing time.

As far as meat goes, I tend to buy volumes of meat (I look for sales on a particular item). Many times I cannot process them immediately, so I just throw them into the freezer and pull them out as I’m able to properly can them. It’s no different from you going to the grocery store, buying some meat, putting it in your freezer and cooking a meal with it at a later date. I would not freeze my meet, thaw it, and then freeze it again without cooking, but it is widely acceptable to freeze it once in the home before preparing.

For good pressure canning books, I use the Ball’s Blue Book of Preserving…it’s an oldie and good one that gives USDA safe guidelines for proper canning. I’ve seen other people mention some other canning books here that I’m not as familiar with. Also, there are a few online canning sites connected with CSREES-USDA (Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture) that offer safe canning guidelines…I refer to them often if I wanna double check a processing guideline from my Ball’s Blue Book.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Here’s another great site that offers some great recipes to be used in canning from Jarden Home Brands (they manufacture the Ball and Kerr canning jars).

http://www.homecanning.com/index.asp

Finally, I’ll overload you with an online publication that gives the history of canning, the original processes that proved unhealthy, and how those canning processes evolved over time into the safe canning processes we know and use today. Napoleon, in 1795 offered 12,000 francs for anyone that could develop a way to preserve food, and in 1809, Nicolas Appert received the prize for preserving food by sterilization. In 1858 John Mason invented the first prototype of the glass canning jar that we know today with the seal and threaded ring, and the rest, as they say, is historyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…lol

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/report.html

I have a garden also, but my growing season down here in South Florida tends to be more between September-May…don’t forget to plant your herbs too, they’re prolific and season foods in a way that no dried herbs can replicate.

Good luck!

Shad.

Backpacker – at 08:36

Thank you Shad!Great recipes! I made turkey soup the other day—sounds just like your chicken soup. I’m with you about all the junk they put in commmercial soups. Yuck!

:)

RI Mom of 2 – at 08:57

I think the overhang issue (pots bigger than the burner element) is one of the problems with using most canners with the smoothtop stoves. I believe my instruction manual cautioned against using pots that exceeded the burner size by more than one inch. The Presto canner has a bottom disk that is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the pot itself, so it fits on the largest burner of my stove without excessive overhang. I wanted an All-American canner, but couldn’t find one that was ok for smoothtops, and I didn’t want to ruin mine…so I settled for the Presto. It works fine (though it occurs to me I might want to invest in an extra gasket to have around, just in case).

28 March 2006

mom11 – at 00:21

Hi Shad!

Thanks for all the info! I sure hope I didn’t make a mistake buying this monster sized canner. There are so many of us, I figured, I’d get more done, if I could do more at one time. I have a five burner cooktop, so maybe it will handle this thing, but I sure don’t want to crack it!

I guess I will have to stand on a chair to fill this thing…I’m only 5ft. tall..TeeHee…This should be a sight!!

25 April 2006

MOM11at 23:15

Hi Shaddup!

I haven’t tried my new canner yet. Today I stopped by our extension office and asked if they would give a class on safe canning and they agreed. One thing they told me was that it isn’t recommended that one do “cold pack” canning anymore. The woman said that, the problem with hot packing was the veggies, just turned to mush. I have a friend that says she is eating 7 year old “cold pack” veggies and they are just fine. I don’t want to go to all the trouble to grow this massive garden and then can the veggies and have them turn to mush. What are your thoughts on this? Also, what about “cold packing meats?”

For your chicken in marinara sauce, you are adding raw chicken to the cooked marinara sauce? Could I add fresh tomatoes, once they are ripe, instead of canned ones? How would I change the cooking or processing time? I love your recipes!! Anytime you are bored (sounds like never) I would love more!

I’m not sure if I can even use half gallon jars in this canner, but have you ever canned in them? My family is so large and I would need at least that amount for most meals, anyway.

Thanks so much for your help!!

26 April 2006

Kim – at 07:50

Mom11, don’t use 1/2 gallon jars to can things in, the volume of them is too big for the heat to infiltrate all the way through. It just isn’t safe to can food in these. Use quart jars instead (2 quarts = 1/2 gallon). If you already have 1/2 gallon jars, they are excellent storage containers for powdered milk. Just pour in the powdered milk, add an oxygen absorber packet if available, and screw on the lid.

Meat should not be cold packed, even chunks of chicken should be pre-cooked till they’ve just lost their pink color.

I’ve stretched the amount of hamburger (on sale at $1.49 a lb) I’ve canned by mixing it about half and half with ground turkey (on sale at $1.00 a lb). Since ground turkey is rather bland, this works out well because the hamburger adds flavor to the turkey (also not as much grease to drain off).

Kim – at 08:08

BTW, whenever I adapt or modify a recipe for canning, I look up the processing times and pressures for each ingredient, then use whichever time/pressure is longest/highest. For example, if I make up a recipe which contains carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and beef, I follow the processing time and pressure for the beef, since it requires the longest time and pressure. Also, if I have ANY question at all about whether a product is acidic enough to be safely canned, I add lemon juice.

Also, if you have hard water like I do, adding a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the water in the pressure canner will help prevent the buildup of white deposits on your jars.

Kim – at 09:48

Don’t can any recipe which has sage as an ingredient, it will impart a bitter taste to whatever you’ve canned. If you feel that your recipe simply must have sage to taste right, add the sage after you’ve opened the jar and are preparing to use it.

Pine Ridge – at 10:26

Shaddup, thanks for all your input. I love to read how other people do things to find out the shortcuts and easier ways.

Mom11, I always cold pack my veggies, and always hot pack my meat. I also have a “monster sized” canner, and am thinking of getting a smaller one for when I just have a little to can. Then when I’m doing lots, I can can with one while I wait for the other to cool down, and save time between loads.

I also freeze leftovers that I want to can until I have enough for a full canner load. I hate to heat the canner up for just a couple of qts.

Love Texas – at 19:23

Friends---I need help let me explain. I have a glass top stove, also it has a down draft and on either side I have a drop in two burner unit that has a raised lip. So I am limited to the size of pot I can use or the pot would be tilted and not work. I can’t find a canner in town, I have e-mailed the canner companies and asked for measurements and they did not respond. I don’t want to order on line and have to return. So if any of you would be so kind to measure the bottom of your canner and let me know the measurement and brand I would be so greatful. I really want to get started on this project---Thank-you

27 April 2006

Kathy in FL – at 08:09

Love Texas – at 19:23

I have a terribly old unit so the measurements wouldn’t do you any good, but check the units available from American Harvest … I think that is the name. They are supposed to be one of the best and they have a smaller unit from what I understand.

Kim – at 08:22

Love Texas at 19:23, I have a Presto 22 qt canner, Model #0178006. It is 12.5″ across the bottom, with a raised portion on the bottom that measures 8″ across.

shadddup – at 09:35

MOM11 ~

It sure is nice to have fluwikie up and running smoothing again…I missed talking about canning with y’all…lol

As far as canning cold pack vs hot pack, I can all my veggies, fruits and meats cold pack. Unless the guidelines state to hot pack only, and if there is a provision for cold pack, I have always cold packed those things. As long as the finished product has a complete seal, I’ve never had a problem with spoilage. Some of the things that I always hot pack are the *meals* that I make, like my marinaras, soups, jams, etc. One of the references I put alot of faith in is the National Center for Home Preservation. As they state on their website, “The Center was established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA) to address food safety concerns…”, so for me, I feel comfortable with their recommendations. Once again, their url is:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

You will also notice that about in the middle of their home page they have an area titled, “Preserving Food at Home: A Self Study”. This is an online canning course that you can take at your leisure that will just support any classes you may take at your local extension office.

For my chicken cacciatore that I make with my marinara, I sautee the chicken first then add that to the marinara base I’ve made. I don’t see why you couldn’t sautee your chicken and add fresh tomatoes and whatever else you’d like and process it from there, but keep in mind, you’ll have a totally different product then what I’ve described as a marinara with chicken. The rule of thumb I’ve ALWAYS gone by is that whatever I’m processing that has more than one ingredient, I always use the processing time for the entire jar for the item that traditionally requires the longest processing time (that sounds confusing to understand as I type it lol). In other words, when I make my marinara with chicken, if I were only canning plain marinara, I would hafta process the marinara for 25 minutes. Since I add the chicken, and chicken standardly requires more processing time (1 hour 15 minutes=pints, 1 hour 30 minutes=quarts), then I can the entire jar at the chicken processing time (1 hour 15 minutes or 1 hour 30 minutes depending on size of jar). To be quite honest with you, different veggies hold up in different ways under extended cooking times. Onions can be cooked for hours and retain their form per se. Things like potatoes have the ability to lose their form with extended cooking. So, when I make the chicken cacciatore, what I do is make my base marinara (that has the onions, garlic, herbs and spices in it). I then sautee my chicken and put the appropriate amounts in the sterilized jars. I add the sweet peppers and pour the hot marinara over it, removing the air bubbles, sealing and then processing according to the timetables for chicken. I don’t want the peppers to get too mushy due to the 1hr15min-1hr30min processing time, so I just let them naturally cook while under the processing conditions and they turn out absolutely awesome.

In regard to your half gallon canning jars…no, I have never canned in those, nor would I plan to. I personally don’t feel that there is enough reliable and proven statistical information published that would support canning a variety of things in large volumes like that. Like you, safety is first, otherwise it’s a waste of my time and money to *push the envelope* so to say. I also have a large family with big eaters, and in spite of that, the quart jars really do go further than we sometimes would expect. Even if I hafta use a couple of quart jars, no problem! I have the peace of mind and confidence that what I’m serving is homemade and safe for my children to eat. As Kim said, the concern about half gallon jars is that there hasta be proper heat infiltration throughout the contents as it is processing. That is one of the reasons that canning pastas and rice and broths that have thickening agents (ie, starch, flour, etc) are frowned upon, because those items interfere with the proper heat distribution in the jar.

As far as others cautions on canning *modified recipes*, that is an individual choice. In all honesty, the reason that I feel comfortable canning my own personal recipes is that upon doing research, taking the necessary precautions to process the ingredients for the appropriate amount of time, has afforded me the ability to think outside the box and produce food products that are safe and reliable for consumption. I’ve copied in part, the National Center for Food Preservation’s statements about requirements for safely processing *low acid foods* (the ones that are a concern for botulism, i.e. meats, most veggies (except tomatoes), etc.):

Food acidity and processing methods Whether food should be processed in a pressure canner or boiling-water canner to control botulinum bacteria depends on the acidity of the food. Acidity may be natural, as in most fruits, or added, as in pickled food. Low-acid canned foods are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of these bacteria. Acid foods contain enough acid to block their growth, or destroy them more rapidly when heated. The term “pH” is a measure of acidity; the lower its value, the more acid the food. The acidity level in foods can be increased by adding lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar.

Low-acid foods have pH values higher than 4.6. They include red meats, seafood, poultry, milk, and all fresh vegetables except for most tomatoes. Most mixtures of low-acid and acid foods also have pH values above 4.6 unless their recipes include enough lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar to make them acid foods. Acid foods have a pH of 4.6 or lower. They include fruits, pickles, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, marmalades, and fruit butters.

Although tomatoes usually are considered an acid food, some are now known to have pH values slightly above 4.6. Figs also have pH values slightly above 4.6. Therefore, if they are to be canned as acid foods, these products must be acidified to a pH of 4.6 or lower with lemon juice or citric acid. Properly acidified tomatoes and figs are acid foods and can be safely processed in a boiling-water canner.

Botulinum spores are very hard to destroy at boiling-water temperatures; the higher the canner temperature, the more easily they are destroyed. Therefore, all low-acid foods should be sterilized at temperatures of 240° to 250°F, attainable with pressure canners operated at 10 to 15 PSIG. PSIG means pounds per square inch of pressure as measured by gauge. The more familiar “PSI” designation is used hereafter in this publication (the Complete Guide to Home Canning). At temperatures of 240° to 250°F, the time needed to destroy bacteria in low-acid canned food ranges from 20 to 100 minutes.

The exact time depends on the kind of food being canned, the way it is packed into jars, and the size of jars. The time needed to safely process low-acid foods in a boiling-water canner ranges from 7 to 11 hours; the time needed to process acid foods in boiling water varies from 5 to 85 minutes.

I know that this post is LONG, but I take this all very seriously and sharing my thoughts and/or experiences holds a certain responsibility when dealing with foods, so I’ve tried to take a little time explaining in detail the hows and whys I choose to do certain things. Take what ya like, and leave the rest…home canning is a personal journey.

Love Texas ~

Choosing a canner is based on personal preferences. If you’d like my opinion, the only canner I would ever consider (and the only ones I own) are the All American. They have no rubber seal to contend with (no replacement costs on that) and are by far the most durable canners I’ve seen. They’ll last you a life time and longer and are a great investment. They are widely available on the net and in certain stores locally. The following url is where I personally have bought mine. They list the dimensions of each different unit, so you can peruse this site and *window shop*. Keep in mind along with the dimensions, you need to keep in mind the weight of the canner also. Before I had my house fire, I had a glass top stove and canned quite successfully on the glasstop. Here’s a selection of the different sized All American canners:

http://www.goodmans.net/get_list_117.htm

I don’t see where they have the weight of the canner listed, but the All American canners are made by the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co., Inc. and I’m sure you could give them a call and inquire as to the weight of a specific sized canner. When I have had to call them in the past, they have been extremely helpful. Their number is 920/682–8627.

Good luck.

Shad.

shadddup – at 09:49

MOM11 ~

Also…

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…I can lots of other things too, if you’d like some more ideas.

Shad.

Hillbilly Bill – at 11:10

Sorry that this is off-topic, but I didn’t want to start a new thread. I have a good recipe for hamburger canned in tomato sauce which can be used for sloppy joes, a base for spaghetti or pizza sauce, etc. etc. However, I was thinking that hanburger canned in some kind of country style gravy would be nice to have as well. Does anybody have a recipe for something like this?

Carrey – at 12:42

Hillbilly, I don’t beleive you should can anything with flour, pasta, or rice. I don’t remember why exactly, but I do remember that is a “no-no”

Hillbilly Bill – at 13:07

Carrey:

In the back of my mind I thought that was the case, but I was hoping otherwise.

shadddup – at 13:25

When you try to can using flours, pastas or rice, the density of those products interfere with the infiltration of the heat during the canning process which can attribute to the jar not reaching the right temperatures and/or pressures during the process.

Besides, pasta turns to mush lol. (yes, I did try it years ago and it was terrible)

You can HOWEVER, home can more of au jus type gravies and/or sauces and omit any dairy and/or thickening agents, and add those at a later date to thicken the sauce up. This is commonly done, even with cream type soups, when the dairy is added when the jar is opened to be heated and served.

Shad.

Kathy in FL – at 18:46

Hillbilly Bill – at 11:10

Just ran across a canned hamburger recipe that used cream of mushroom soup. If you want it give me a shout and I’ll post it. Haven’t tried it yet, but it was listed as a TNT (tried and true) by the person who passed it along.

MOM11at 23:33

Hi Kathy!

I would love the hamburger recipe, too! Is it OK to use the creamed soups in canning? I’m canning stupid!! Thanks!

MOM11at 23:38

Hi Kim and Pine Ridge!

Thanks for all the canning tips! I’ve used zillions of the half gallon jars with the 02 pkts. and food saver, so will just save the quarts for canning.

MOM11at 23:50

Hi Shad!

Whew! I was afraid you had disappeared! I was going to throw that monster canner away!

I’ve been reading through the sites you posted. Is there a website with lots of approved recipes? So far, I haven’t found very many. I’d like to try a variety of canning recipes. Your chicken in marinara is at the top! I may go ahead and make it with canned tomatoes, since it will be awhile, before I have any fresh from the garden.

Have you ever canned strips of meat for stir fry? Would I just saute it, throw it in jars, add hot broth, and can? What about chunks of beef or pork…brown it and can? Do you add water, if you don’t have broth? How do you keep your chicken from tasting like tuna, as some have mentioned happening? For hamburger…brown, put in jars, add water?

Questions, questions!! Sorry! I appreciate all you advice so much. I would love any recipes you would have time to share!

28 April 2006

Hillbilly Bill – at 08:27

Kathy in FL – at 18:46 Please post the recipe! That sounds like just what I am looking for. Hard to believe that SOS may be a welcome treat after a few months of canned goods….

Love Texas – at 14:16

Shad and Kathy and Kim thanks for imput on the canner for my stove. Sadly the American will not work on my stove, and I am not sure about the Presto, I am checking. I can not find any in town. I am wondering if I could get a burner and sit it on my kitchen counter would that work I don’t know. Would it get hot enough? I might just get a new stove!!!!

Kathy in FL – at 16:39

Hillbilly Bill, Mom11, and everyone else ….

Here is the recipe I was referring to.

Pressure Canned Stew Meat

Yield: approx 7 quarts

Fill quart jars with stewing meat. add 1/2 tsp salt per jar. 1 tbsp of soup per jar. Cap and ring each jar. Put in canner following pressure canner directions. Process 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes (or the correct pressure for your altitude).

Hillbilly Bill – at 16:44

Kathy in FL - Thanks!!! You are a sweetheart.

shadddup – at 17:47

MOM11 ~

No, I didn’t disappear, but life has a way of getting really busy, and with fluwikie down for a while, I just gave it time to work out all the *bugs*…and don’t you dare throw your monster away, that thing is invaluable! lol

homecanning.com, which is owned by Jardin Home Brands, which are the makers of the Ball and Kerr canning jars, has a recipe area with numerous recipes on different types of canning…their recipes tend to be more multi diverse ingredients vs just one item ingredient for canning, i.e. stews, soups, sauces, etc. Here’s the url for their recipe area:

http://www.homecanning.com/usa/ALRecipeSearch.asp

No, I haven’t canned thin strips of meat for stir frys, although that is not a bad idea. As far as raw packing it vs hot packing it, I would follow the normal instructions for canning meats. I have raw packed beef and ham many times. While you can precook it, you can also raw pack it. Keep in mind that when you raw pack, after it processes, it isn’t necessarily the most beautiful looking thang in the jar as the normal secretions from the meats that would come out in conventional cooking before canning, are trapped in the jars because the raw meats cook while under the pressure canning process. Everything tastes the same, so it’s really only a visual difference. I’ve done cubes, 1″ thick strips, etc. I’ve canned strips of ham also, and the only thing that I’ve noticed when doing that is that the meat turns a little darker in color (from the sugars in the hams)…I just slice them thinner outta the jar and fry them up and they come out great. I don’t have a problem canning chicken and it coming out tasting like tuna. I’m not quite sure why others are experiencing that…for hamburger, I do cook that first, then rinse in a collander to remove excess fat and hot pack those. I’ve canned the hamburger meat in hot water and beef broth…it’s just a personal preference, both taste fine.

I sure don’t mind your questions, as I’m sure the others don’t either, so feel free to keep asking…that’s how I learned, by asking a ton of questions!

I’m still up in Orlando, but should be going home tomorrow, so once I get home, over the next couple of days, I’ll share a couple more of the things I make. I recently did navy bean soup with ham, split pea soup with ham, baked beans, sloppy joes and conch chowder.

Love Texas ~

What some people do is buy the portable turkey fryer base that hooks up to a propane tank and use that to do their canning…if you’re going to get a more standard sized canner (and not a monster like I have), then I would think they would work fine on your glass top. The one I had before my house fire (I think it held 7 or 8 quarts) did quite fine on the glass and I canned hundreds of quarts with that alone.

Shad.

Love Texas – at 18:18

I love this thread----The thing is I thought no one canned anymore. I guess that is because I don’t can anymore. I have to say that freezing is not always a good option, once thawed some foods are just not good. Shad—you are awsome---how did you get started canning?

shadddup – at 20:33

Love Texas ~

Yeah, it’s surprising how many people can “come outta the wood work” and have experience in areas that we thought were traditions from days gone by…canning I think is one of those areas because in many respects it really is a dying art. Our JIT society has contributed mainly to that…people’s lives are at a more hurried pace, they have less time, less interest, and the big companies have capitalized on that need ad nauseam and yet…

I see scores of people that yearn for some of the things from the olden days…home cooked meals, healthier foods, etc…I see the health food market exploding…organics is making a profoundly stunning comeback, and I think people are just sick and tired of all this crap that has been labeled “healthy, quick and easy” (while being full of preservatives and unhealthy things for our bodies) cause the fact remains, sometimes the GOOD things in life just take time, and cooking (at least for me) is one of them.

With all that said, for me, I started canning with my mom after I was married. Each year during our growing season, we would do a few hundred pounds of tomatoes. I expanded that to include strawberry jam and kinda left it at that. In the interim, I own a website and a large number of the ladies there were always talking about canning this and that, and I would watch the things they would can. One Fall, my grandmother died. She was the grandmother that taught me how to cook all those years ago…she taught me how to make my first chocolate chip cookies (when I cracked the egg and the yoke broke, I started to cry thinking I had done something wrong ‘rolling eyes at self lol’). She was the most awesome woman I’ve ever met and the most awesome cook I’ve ever had the fortune to enjoy. I cook for a living and on many holidays when she would come over she would stand by my stove with me, with her hands on her hips, not saying a word and just watch (that would really make me nervous cause although I was a much fancier cook than she, she was still the master in my eyes lol). Anyway, when she passed away and Christmas was looming fast, I was thinking about what to give the family for gifts. Nobody needed anything, we all have too much and I was in one of my sentimental moods and wanted to give something that had MEANING. I thought of my grandmother and the legacy she had left with me so I decided that holiday season to go all out and to can a variety of things that I could then turn around and give out as gifts in her honor. That’s what I did, and that’s how I got started on my journey with canning. As it turned out, everyone that received my home canning that Christmas was more moved and touched by the time and work I had put into those items, than any high priced ticket item I could have bought. I then, as is customary with me, did alot of research and studying on canning (from it’s birth in Napoleon’s era to today), asked more questions then y’all could ever dream of and was blessed to have many master canners cross my path.

As time wore on, my conviction about what I talked about when I first started writing this post, just grew. I became more aggravated with all the convenience products in the grocery store that tout ‘healthy living’ because all anyone had to do was to read the fine print to find out what REALLY is in those products. The thought that storebought cookies have shelf lives of 1–2 years makes me sick to my stomach (I could go on and on but I’ll let it slide for now lol). I guess that God given passion I have been given for food just seemed like a perfect marriage with home canning.

So today, I have that convenience that we all need. I have TRUE healthy products with which to feed my family…the only preservative in my home canned foods is salt, vinegar, lemon juice etc. lol. I have confidence and peace of mind that my children really ARE getting home cooked meals, even though it just took me 5 minutes to heat up in the microwave or on the stove. The only difference is, I made it myself…I took the time, invested the energy and was willing to do the work TODAY, that would turn out as payoffs in the near future as it pertains to food for my family.

Ok, so this is probably more information than what you had bargained for, but when I start talking about the food area, I kinda get carried away…

0:)

lol

Shad.

Kim – at 22:47

LoveTexas, I will tell you that my Presto canner has an explict caution in the instruction book that you are NOT supposed to use the canner with an LP gas burner with a 12,000 Btu or more output. I don’t know whether it will damage the canner or what, but that particlar caution is in boldface type.

Love Texas – at 23:11

Kim thanks for that info----my luck it would blow up! Shad---you sound just like me, I love food and the process of it all. I bake every weekend and I love to have really good food on the table. I love to try new things. Yes health food is on its way in again and growing. I guess I have come full circle I now want to can again even if I have to blow up my stove!!!!!!

29 April 2006

kath-rn – at 01:51

Home poultry canners…just be careful…botulism can kill you as easily as BF.

shadddup – at 12:58

kath-rn ~

I agree, proper home canning methods are vital to successful and safe homecanning. However, botulism contamination is not limited to just homecanning poultry products…the bacteria exist either as spores or as vegetative cells. When products that are home canned, are not canned properly, the spores can produce vegetative cells which multiply rapidly and may produce a deadly toxin within 3 to 4 days of growth in an environment that consists of moist, low-acid foods, a temperature between 40° and 120°F (which is why canning reaches heat levels of 240°F), and/or less than 2 percent oxygen. Botulinum spores are on most fresh food surfaces. Because they grow only in the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods. The recommended processing times ensure destruction of the largest expected number of heat-resistant microorganisms in home-canned foods. Properly sterilized canned food will be free of spoilage if lids for a proper seal after processing, and jars are stored below 95°F. Storing jars at 40° to 70°F enhances retention of quality.

And THAT is the reason I advocate safe canning practices, to avoid contamination in foods that are prepared and preserved at home.

Shad.

just passing through – at 15:40

Shad,

would you mind posting your web site, I too am interested in canning. Thank you…

JPT

anonymous – at 19:05

JPT ~

Outta respect for the owners of this site, I’ll refrain from posting my site (although it is a totally different type of site)…it’s hard for me to talk about what I know and/or my experiences because alot of what I have gleamed over the years has been through that particular place. I visit the fluwikie because the it stands on its own merits.

However, please feel free to email me, if you’d like, and I’ll forward you the url that way.

My email addy is babeshades@yahoo.com

Thanks for asking.

Shad.

shadddup – at 19:07

oooops, I cleared my cookies and it removed my id…the above is me, shadddup.

0:)

lol

Shad.

30 April 2006

just passing through – at 17:27

thank you.. what an awesome site for preparing information! It is nice to be able to talk to other women about the who, what, where, when, and why of preparedness.

again thank you.

Eduk8or – at 19:06

Just my 2 cents worth about canning.. SHAD I think you and I must have had the same grandmother! I thought I was reading about my grandmother in your post about learning to cook & can from yours! My experience with canning has been similar to yours and I agree with all the advice on both canning and canners that you’ve given on here.

I’ve canned some of our Angus beef roasts every couple years for the past 20 years of marriage and helped my grandmother and mom can beef for years before that. We’ve always cold-packed: taken the roast cut into 1 1/2″ cubes packed them in tightly with 1″ headspace, top with 1 tsp of salt and then process at 15 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes… I’ve had ones not seal, but never have had one bad or gotten sick from one.

I was glad to read about the glasstop stove because we just got a new Maytag and I had never heard about that until I was reading on here… I’ve got the one with the “adjustable” burner so I’m sure that the heat will cover the bottom of my All-american canner.

Just an idea for those looking for a canner… I’ve seen really nice heavy-duty, All-americans with all the accessories go at household auctions for $25 or less… no one cans any more and they are just a “stock-pot” for some. Our county extension office does “gauge checks” every year where you can take your lid in and they will check it to make sure it is reading accurately.. although I think you can take in anytime.

01 May 2006

Ima_Gardener – at 01:37

Mom11~

I have the All American 930 and I have never regreted it! I also have a smaller canner that does 5 quarts. The small canner lives in my pan cupboard and does all left overs. My Mini Monster cause it isn’t the 941 MONSTER Shad has, I use when I have lots to can. Being only 5′ tall myself.. and older, I have to put it on the stove and then put water in it! Gosh that thing weighs a ton. I am glad to have it when I am canning 100 chickens or 12 turkeys or it is a bumper crop of something.

I am greatful for the Internet.. all these years I thought I was the only one that canned.

Hillbilly Bill – at 08:57

just passing through – at 17:27 - “It is nice to be able to talk to other women about the who, what, where, when, and why of preparedness.”

Hey, don’t forget about me :-)

anonymous – at 09:19

We’ll get back to you, once we’ve figured y’all out…

0:)

lol

Shad.

shadddup – at 09:20

Darn it!

I keep forgetting to put my id in.

Shad.

Hillbilly Bill – at 09:28

why thank ya Ma’am!

Northstar – at 09:30

Here’s another thumbs-up on the All-American brand… I have the 920 and it’s awesome. When I bought a Presto all the pro-canners I know groaned and said, “For that money you should have gotten an AA!” So I sent back the Presto and exchanged it for the AA and have been very pleased. That thing is _solid_ and very easy to use.

A good place to comparison shop is the Pressure Cooker Outlet at Red Hill General Store (online.) They have a chart with brands, capacities, weights, prices and where they can be used. (Glass top stoves or not.) I ordered my cookers from them and was very pleased with the prices and service, even doing the exchange. I have ordered from Goodman’s and have had problems—unotified backorders, etc… I wouldn’t order from them again.

Here’s a great, free online canning course for beginners: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Here’s that chart: http://tinyurl.com/hhr94

Here’s some canning recipes: http://tinyurl.com/gkoa4

02 May 2006

just passing through – at 03:13

Hillbilly Bill…

I am sorry to have left you out. I was talking about going to Shad’s group to talk about canning and found she has an awesome site on preparedness!! I have learned so much about preparing for any reason, my printer ran out of ink once already.

I hope you come over and talk canning too.. everyone is so nice there.

JPT

Hillbilly Bill – at 08:25

JPT: Not a problem! My mom taught me how to can, among many other things and it has been a very valuable skill all these years.

03 May 2006

I – at 01:58

I was canning 20 pounds of strawberry preserves today.. yesterday canned rhubarb. I have 6 turkeys yet to dispatch and get canned.

I love the feeling of accomplishment when I stand back and look at all those jars sparkling as it they are winking at me. The sound of the jars Pinging as they seal is music to my ears.

Ima_gardener – at 01:59

sorry about that.. I am still trying to figure this board out.

Ima_gardener

shadddup – at 07:45

Strawberries?

I’m still not recovered from the 200lbs I did a couple of months ago…lol

Shad.

Ima_gardener – at 20:54

Shad, look on the bright side.. you won’t have to do strawberries again for a year or two.

Ima

05 May 2006

shadddup – at 06:40

Ima ~

That’s true…I still have an abundant supply of the 450lbs of peaches I did that I got from Alabama last summer…

I keep thinking about that statement that was posted on the Lancet Asian thread here…

“You can have all the numbers you want and plan and prepare and all that, but I guarantee you (his words) when the pandemic occur, what you have done will not be enough.”

It just makes you wonder…

~sigh~

Shad.

07 May 2006

Habanero – at 18:36

I have just finished reading through this awesome thread and am left stunned……..

I was very late to canning, I guess I was about 30 or so. Even though I acquired my love of cooking from my grandmother she didn’t can. I was city born and raised as was my mother, and her mother……………..so even they found me to be a bit weird when I started doing it.

But all I have ever done is boiling water bath canning and so have been fascinated with the discussion regarding pressure canning.

shadddup – at 18:44

“so even they found me to be a bit weird when I started doing it.”

You go girl! I love it lol…that sounds like me and I just laugh along with them…I could care less what they think…in the long run, alot are envious that the foods I feed my family are handled by me from garden to table.

Ya gotta try the pressure canning! I have a feeling that once you do, you’ll get the bug like the rest of us and fall in love with preserving foods the ‘old fashioned way’!

Shad.

Habanero – at 18:53

LOL!!! Thank you, Shad

Who knows, one of these days I may just try the pressure canner……….but various reasons at the moment purchasing one is not in the cards, so I will stick with the water bath.

I love to cook and even when schedules get hectic or what have you, even frozen meals out of the freezer are ones that I made to begin with.

At the moment I’m only making jellies to sell at the various fairs and festivals that will be starting here on a regular basis by the end of this month. I’ve got a quarter acre tilled up and weather permitting hope to get most of my seedlings in and the first planting of corn in this week.By mid August I’ll be ready for some serious canning!!!

janetn – at 18:55

I havent canned much in 20 years [ my post hippie/mother earth years ] Im glad to be back at it. feels like home to me. Has anyone canned corn relish? I cant seem to find a good recipe. Love the stuff, and Ive got a ton of sweet corn planted. While Im at it What about spiced apples? Oh.. are they good

shadddup – at 19:45

janetn ~

Here’s a recipe for Spiced Apples:

Quantity: An average of 19 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 12¼ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16 to 19 quarts, an average of 2¾ pounds per quart.

SPICED APPLE RINGS

Yield: About 8 to 9 pints

Procedure: Wash apples, peel and core. Cut crosswise into 1/2″ slices. To prevent discoloration, slice apples into water containing ascorbic acid, Fruit Fresh or lemon juice. To make flavored syrup, combine sugar, water, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon candies (or cinnamon sticks) and food coloring in a 6-quart saucepan. Stir, heat to boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain apples, add to hot syrup and cook 5 minutes.

Fill jars (preferably wide-mouth) with apple rings and hot flavored syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in water bath canner, whether pints or quarts 1–1000 ft for 20 minutes, 1001–3000ft for 25 minutes, 3001–6000ft for 30 minutes and above 6000ft for 35 minutes.

Although I can corn from the cob all the time, I’ve never made corn relish. In my Blue Ball Canning book, they have a recipe for it that you may want to consider…

Corn Relish

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a water bath canner. (Recipe variation: To make corn relish without cabbage, substitute 1 cup chopped celery for cabbage. Add 1 clove garlic, minced. Follow directions in recipe).

Habanero ~

A thought to consider is keeping your eye out on ebay for a canner…many times you can get a great deal on there…until then, you’ll be busy with your water bath canner!

Shad.

shadddup – at 19:46

oooops…forgot to add that the corn relish recipe makes about 6 pints.

Sowwy.

Shad.

17 June 2006

Closed - BroncoBillat 01:32

Old thread - Closed to increase Forum speed.

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