Canning thread

[Adios Pantalones]

We talked about it a bunch last year, and the season is here now, so show us whatcha doin.

I picked garlic scapes, had cranberries in the freezer (in laws live next to bogs) and bought strawberries. The cranberry sauce is great, strawberry jam is thin, and if it doesn't set up it may become canned daiquiri mix. Pickled the scapes.

Boiling three pots of stuff for hours in my in air conditioned house on the Fourth of July- I never claimed to be smart.

 

[PapaDave]

Too early here to can. If things don't start growing soon, we won't be putting up much of anything.
We blanch the green beans, and not sure what we'll do when the maters start producing. Might just give bags of them to friends/family.
The romaine and some of the maters will become salad fixins.

 

[lukem]

We do tomato juice...salsa...jalapeño jelly...zucinni relish...and going to try a batch of raspberry habanero jelly this year. Everything else gets frozen.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Same here, a bit early to be canning but not that long ago I canned 36 jars of kraut after a 10 week ferment. I usually freeze the peppers and beans from the garden but can tomatoes and make pickles.

I love to can, a few years ago, before the garden was ready, I made great friendships with local farmers to buy cases of vegatables so I could can.

My favorite still is canning peaches, there is nothing like popping a can in the middle of winter to put on my Cheerios

 

[Jack Straw]

My wife and I want to start canning. Between our garden and all of the local farmers there is a lot of options.

Anyone have a good salsa recipe?

 

[Hearth Mistress]

My wife and I want to start canning. Between our garden and all of the local farmers there is a lot of options.

Anyone have a good salsa recipe?

This is nothing fancy but I've used this with all sorts a pepper varieties. I like to add chipotle for smokey flavors or habanero for hotter varieties. Try adding mango for a sweeter version or corn and black beans for a southwest style. Have fun!
This will taste a little vinegary if you eat it right away, wait a week for the flavors to balance out.

Basic Salsa
Makes 6 pints

10 cups roughly skinned and chopped tomatoes
5 cups chopped and seeded bell peppers
5 cups chopped vidalia or white onions
2 1/2 cups hot peppers, chopped, seeded (or any other pepper you like)
1 cup cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
3 teaspoons salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in large sauce pot.

Simmer until desired thickness.

Stir in tomato paste.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space.

Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

Note: use more hot peppers for a very hot salsa or less for mild.

 

[Jack Straw]

Thanks, I'll have to keep it on the mild side.

 

[fishingpol]

Good stuff there AP. Amazing color on the cranberries.

Waiting and pruning suckers. I moved a few hanging vines on a new wire to shade the screened porch from the afternoon sun. About 7 or 8 weeks until picking. It looks like a great season as there are a lot of bunches. If the rain keeps up, they will be fat and juicy.

 

[Jags]

To date the only canning has been some pickled asparagus and I have froze some black raspberries. When sweet corn season hits, I will be freezing up a pile and the matters are gonna go into jars too.

And I have been newly introduced to habanero jelly. This will be a consideration for a few jars of my own.

 

[jeff_t]

Don't forget about safety. Make sure to maintain acidity in tomato recipes. That salsa recipe looks like it could end up pretty high on the pH scale.

It is a known fact that tomatoes aren't as acidic as they used to be. Neither are tomatoes that are bruised or decayed, ripened off the vine, or picked from dead vines.

Hot water bath canners don't get hot enough to kill heat resistant bacteria and botulism producing spores, which is why it is important to maintain acidity. Pressure canners reach higher temperatures, and also cut down on processing times.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Don't forget about safety. Make sure to maintain acidity in tomato recipes. That salsa recipe looks like it could end up pretty high on the pH scale.

It is a known fact that tomatoes aren't as acidic as they used to be. Neither are tomatoes that are bruised or decayed, ripened off the vine, or picked from dead vines.

Hot water bath canners don't get hot enough to kill heat resistant bacteria and botulism producing spores, which is why it is important to maintain acidity. Pressure canners reach higher temperatures, and also cut down on processing times.

No offense but my family and friends have been using that recipe for over 20 years now, never had an issue. There is plenty of vinegar in there, in addition to the tomatoes to make it acidic enough to safely water bath can it, but feel free to add a capful of lemon juice to the jars before sealing if anyone is worried about the ph in this recipe.

I only use my pressure canner to do soups, meats and other non-acidic foods. Being born in the 70's with the canned mushroom issues, my first word as a kid was "botulism" - my mom told us everything would give it to you - and still does till this day - so I am pretty careful when canning, no worries here

 

[jeff_t]

Apologies Didn't see the whole cup of vinegar in six pints, just lots of peppers and onions.

Still something worth mentioning in a canning thread. I have several friends jumping on the wagon that have no clue. Seems to be becoming a popular thing to do around here.

 

[save$]

http://www.pickyourown.org/ME.htm. This site can be adjusted for your state. It is a wealth of information for most anything about canning, freezing, preserves etc.

 

[osagebow]

AP - good idea pickling the scapes. I generally cut them ASAP to (supposedly) make the bulbs bigger, might pickle 'em next year.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

AP - good idea pickling the scapes. I generally cut them ASAP to (supposedly) make the bulbs bigger, might pickle 'em next year.

First time I pickled them, but I have run the experiment and at least I am convinced that picking the scapes makes bulbs bigger. Anyway- you get scapes to eat as well, so why not! Before this we ground them for pesto, and threw them in foil on the grill with other veggies

 

[Adios Pantalones]

AP - good idea pickling the scapes. I generally cut them ASAP to (supposedly) make the bulbs bigger, might pickle 'em next year.

Update-
-the strawberry jelly didn't set, but it tastes dynamite on ice cream.
-The garlic scapes are excellent! I have used the juice in a dressing as well as in chimichuri sauce and it was great in those. Playing "chopped" at home

 

[lukem]

My kids have been picking and eating all my raspberries, daily. Not going to have enough for raspberry habanero jelly .

 

[Adios Pantalones]

My kids have been picking and eating all my raspberries, daily. Not going to have enough for raspberry habanero jelly .

I guess you can be happy that they're eating well at least! They will remember that stuff the rest of their lives

 

[lukem]

I guess you can be happy that they're eating well at least! They will remember that stuff the rest of their lives

No, I'm glad they're eating them...and picking them too. I just need to go look for a patch of wild berries to use.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

No, I'm glad they're eating them...and picking them too. I just need to go look for a patch of wild berries to use.

I understand- you had a plan, and your staff didn't keep the schedule

I have started to love canning- very similar satisfaction to looking out at a woodpile that you built yourself

 

[lukem]

This pic is from two years ago, but we do the same thing every year (and a LOT more than is pictured). Tomato juice (for soup), jalapeno jelly, zucchini relish (you'll never go back to pickle relish after this stuff), and salsa. I don't have my salsa recipe handy, but it is really good and super easy. I can dig it up if you are interested.

Everything processed in a hot water bath. Don't have a pressure canner...yet.

The tomato juice was a bit orange that year because we made it from a mix of heirloom tomatoes...some orange, some yellow, some green, and some red. Didn't look the best but it tasted awesome.

 

[Jags]

Zuke relish? Please expand on this. I planted two plants and you know what that means...zukes up the wazoo.

 

[lukem]

It's a good way to get rid of a ton of zukes. It is sweet relish...not dill relish. Goes great on brats, dogs, burgers, deviled eggs, potato salad, etc, etc. I made a couple jars of spicy zuke relish by adding some jalapenos and they were extra tastey.

I will post the recipe tonight.

 

[Augie]

Made first batch of quick fridge pickels this AM and a batch of Kefir fermented pickles as well

 

[lukem]

I just do fridge pickles...they don't last long enough to bother canning them around my house.